Tucker Neel in Party Favors at Bonelli Contemporary, Los Angeles

Party Favors is an exhibition exploring the party—as a subject, an idea, a state of mind, and a model of artistic practice. Bringing together a diverse assortment of works and events exploring social dynamics, play, food, performance, games, pleasure, decadence, and excess, it aims to explore the widespread tendency among young artists and art spaces in LA today toward a renewed interrogation of community, collaboration, and social interaction—as well giving the art community something to do in the often sleepy month of July.

The exhibition has two parts: a group show in the gallery, consisting of sculpture, painting, video, photography, and an installation of “art that you can drink,” to be served exclusively at the opening; and a spectacular series of events, each organized by a different artist or group. The events will be held at the gallery and in other sympathetic venues in and around Chinatown. Most are free of charge. A full and regularly updated schedule will be available on the gallery’s website at http://www.bonellicontemporary.com

The show kicks off the night before the opening with late night séance marking the birthday of artist Miguel Nelson, complete with banana daiquiris. The following night we’ll be pouring of Fallen Fruit’s new line of neighborhood-inspired vodkas. Other events include a wine tasting with Echo impresario Julian Davies; a fried chicken social at High Energy Constructs; the eighth incarnation of the Fucked Up Drawing Party; a record listening party with Tao Urban; a game day with Elizabeth Hamilton and Jon Zerolnick; a Mystery Cafe with Tamala Poljak, Anna Oxygen, and Paloma Parfrey; and performances by Frohawk Two Feathers and the Forces of Nature, Nuttaphol Ma, Maxi Kim, and Christine Wertheim, among others. Artists for the exhibition include Brian Bress, Martin Durazo, Fallen Fruit, Fucked Up Drawing Party, Samantha Magowan, Michael Barton Miller, Chris Natrop, Tucker Neel, Miguel Nelson, and Tao Urban.